9 FEBRUARY 2021 Suicide is a major threat to public health. In recent years, suicide rates have actually worsened in the US, and tragically, it's a phenomenon that's accelerating even among children.
There are reasons for hope in the face of this deadly despair, however, and it comes from an unlikely quarter. Ketamine – an anaesthetic discovered in the 1950s – may be dismissed by many as a horse tranquilliser or illicit party drug, but that's far from the whole story about this powerful chemical. A new study shows oral doses of ketamine can dramatically lower suicidal ideation in patients with chronic suicidal thoughts – the latest finding in a series of experiments forcing us to reevaluate the drug.